Manufacture of valves in paper sacks



Dec. 27, 1932. 5 HOOVER 1,892,237

MANUFACTUREOF VALVES IN PAPER SACKS Filed Dc. 7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l miauw/tp 1932. G, s, HOOVER 1,892,237

MANUFACTURE 0F VALVES IN PAPER SACKS Dec. 27, 1932. G. s. HOOVER ,1,892,237

MANUFACTURE OF VALVES IN PAPER sACKs Filed Deo. 7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ff-mi Dec. 27, G 5, HOOVER MANUFACTURE OF. VALVES IN PAPER SACKS Filed Deo. 7. 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 NJN De@ 27 1932- G. s. HOOVER MANUFACTURE VALVES IN PAPER SACKS Filed Deo. 7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 The rollers 5 are preferably formed with wooden bodies at one end, as indicated at 11, and the grooves 10 are formed in said wooden portions, while a knife 9 is set in the wooden portion 11 of the rearmost of said rollers. This knife 9 is provided with a serrated cut ting edge, as indicated at 12, and is of an ofi'- set or Z contour having two end parallel portions extending longitudinally of the roll and an intermediate transverse connecting portion extending circumferentially of the roll, as clearly shown in Fig. 10. This formation of the knife or cutter isnecessary to produce the desired cut in the bag. One of the rear rolls 6 has a straight knife, indicated at 13, set therein and the parts are so proportioned and timed that the knifej13 will assume an active position just as the cut previously made by the knife 9 is alined therewith so that the riction of the knife 13 is to separate the tube into sections of the length desired in the `finished bag.

Secured Vat one end to the main supporting frame, as shown at 14, is a guiding and supporting member which has a tubular formation, indicated at 15, and extends lengthwise of the machine and centrally thereof so that as the tube 4 is formed it will pass around this guide tube 15 and encircle the same. AS

`shown in Fig. 1, the tube 15 extends to a point between the sets of rolls 5 and 6 and at its terminal is secured to a head 16 having a lateral offset 17 on one side which engages the adjacent side of the tube and forms a support and guide for the same, the outer side or edge of the offset being longitudinally grooved, as shown at 18, whereby it will accommodate the usual crease or fold formed in the tube as the latter is produced by the manipulation of the blank, said crease or fold being indicated at 19 in Fig. 7, upon reference to whichfigure it will be understood that the grooved edge 1S of the head supports the crease or fold in a partly open condition while kmaintaining the bag at its full width. At the side of the head 16 opposite the offset 17, I secure laterally extending arms or posts 20, the outer ends of which fit within tubes 21 which are secured at their outer ends to a guiding and supporting bar 22 which has its outer edge longitudinally grooved, as seen clearly in Fig. 7 whereby to accommodate and support the fold 23 formed in the corresponding side of the tube 4 and cooperate with the offset 17 to maintain the bag at its full width. The tubular members or sockets 21 are held slidably to the posts or arms 20 by set screws or studs 24 secured in the posts or arms and passing through slots 25 in the sides of the sockets, as shown in Fig. 4 and as will be understood, expansion springs 123 being housed in the sockets and maintaining the bar 22 in engagement with the fold in the bag tube. In forming the flap or valve, the tube 4 is temporarily expanded and the tudinally beyond the oHset 17 and the end of said offset, consequently, serves as a. stop to limit the retracting movement of the Hap or valve-forming elements.

vExtending through the guide tube 15 is a reciprocatory bar or slide 26 to the outer end of which is attached a chain or other exible element 27 passing over guide pulleys 28 on the main frame and having a weight 29 secured thereto whereby the bar or slide will be automatically retracted after it has been drawn forward during the formation of a valve and by the action of the valve-forming elements. At its forward end the bar 26 is formed with a lateral lug 30 which projects through a slot or notch 31 in the side of the guide tube l5 adjacent the head 16 and to said lateral lug is rigidly secured a rack bar 32, the rack bar being located below the head, as shown in Fig. 7. The rack bar carries an anvil or former 33 which extends laterally the same distance as the offset 17 and normally abuts the forward end of said offset, as shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5. The outer side of the anvil is formed with a longitudinal V-shaped groove 34 which is adapted to enand support the fold 19 of the bag tube, and at its forward end it is formed with upwardly and downwardly diverging horns 35 which provide a space for the accommodation of the Hap-forming elements and which cooperate with said elements in the formation of theyiap. The inner side of the anvil is constructed with a short rib 36 fitting between the upper and lower sides of the head 16, as shown in Fig. 7, and provided on its upper and lower surfaces with longitudinal ridges 37 which engage longitudinal grooves 3S provided therefor in the opposed inner faces of the head. These ridges and the grooves 38 by their inter-engagement serve to maintain the proper relation of the head and the anvil and to hold the anvil to a rectilinear pat-h in its movement. Pivotally mounted within the head 16 is a lever 39 having the arcuate form shown clearly in Figs. 4 and 5, whereby it may pass around the front end of the anvil to maintain engagement with the side -of the bag tube, the free end of the lever being equipped with a roller 40 whereby frictional resistance t'o the travel of the tube will be minimized. On the inner end of the lever is formed a gear 41 concentric with its fulcrum and this gear forms one member of a train of gearing, shown at 42, which has a terminal member 43 below the head (see Fig. 7) meshing with the rack bar 32 and the purnose of which will later appear. Cooperating with the roller 40 and the end of the lever 39 is a presser finger 44 which is disposed at the outer side of the bag tube and bears thereon, as shown in Fig. 4,. so that as long as an uncut portion of the tube is passing between the linger and the lever the finger and lever will be inactive, as will be understood upon reference to Fig. 4. lVhenever a cut in the tube, indicated at 45, reaches the finger, the resistance to the finger will be relieved and the finger atonce rocks inwardly so as to push the material of the tube inwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, to form the flap. The finger 44 is pivoted upon a slide 46 which has its outer end mounted in a guide bracket 47 secured on the main frame, which bracket Vis constructed with longitudinal grooves 48 in its inner opposed faces to be engaged by a T- shaped rib 49 at the outer end of the slide 46, as shown in Figs. 7 and 9. The finger 44 is pivoted within an opening or recess 5() formed in the inner portion of the slide 46 and a torsion spring 51, engaged with the slide and the linger, serves to swing the finger inwardly when it is relieved of the supporting influence of the uninterrupted portion of the bag tube. As shown in Fig. 9, the working end of the finger is forked, as at 52, so that when the linger swings inwardly it may clear the roller 40 and the end of the lever 39. The inner end of the slide 46 is shaped to present a right angular recess 53 to the finger 44 and the end of the lever 39 so that as the travel of the tube continues the flap, indicated at 54, will be forced into said recess and the basal fold 55, shown in Fig. 11, will be positively formed. The slide is also formed with a rearwardly and outwardly curved lip or flange 56 whereby the side of the bag at the base of the flap will be relieved of possible rupture by contact with a sharp edge or surface.

It will be understood that the tube 4 from which the bags are produced is caused to travel continuously through the machine by the action of the rollers 5 and 6. Then the cut 45 is brought to the finger 44 and the lever 39, the advancing side of the cut will, of course, pass readily between the lever and the finger. Inasmuch, however, as the wall or side of the tube is the only support for the finger. when the trailing side of the cut reaches the finger, the spring 51 at once throws the finger inwardly, as shown in Fig. 5, so that the portion of the side of the tube against which the finger bears is pushed inwardly to start the formation of the flap. The forked construction of the finger causes it to clear the roller 40 and the end of the lever 39 so that the started flap is carried to the inner side of the lever, as will be understood from Fig. 5. The travel of the tube, however, is uninterrupted and, consequently. the flap or the partly folded flap is brought against the inner side of the lever and at once acts upon the same to cause it to swing about its own fulcruin, thereby setting in motion the train of gearing 42 and causing the rack bar 32 to travel with the tube, the end of the lever being received in the recess 53 so that the basal fold 55 of the valve is formed. At a point in advance of the rollers 5, a short post 57 rises from the upper side of the bar 26 through a slot in the top of the guide tube l5, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and at the upper end of this short post 57 is a lateral stud 58 engaging in a fork 59 at the lower end of a rocking arm 60 which is secured to and depends from a rock shaft 6l disposed transversely of the machine and journaled at its ends in pedestals or standards 62 rising from the main frame. Near one end of said shaft 61 a second rocking arm 63 is secured to and depends therefrom and the lower end of this arm 63 is formed into a fork 64 in which is engaged a stud 65 on the upper end of a post 66 rigid with and rising from a sliding bar 67 which is mounted in guiding supports 68 o n the main frame and bracket 47, respectively. rlhe forward end of the bar 67 is secured in the slide 46, as shown most clearly in Fig. 5. Consequently, the slide 46 will be caused to move forwardly with the rack bar 32 and the bar 26 and, therefore, the inner end of the slide will be carried forwardly with the end of the lever 39 so that the basal fold 55 of the iiap will be compressed between the end of the lever and the back wall of the recess 53 and will be positively completed. When the travel of the bag tube 4 carries the foldedY flap beyond the range of the arc described by the lever 39 as it swings with the Hap, the force actuatingthe lever will cease and the lever or finger and the slides will be at once returned to the initial normal position through the influence of the weight 29 and the flexible element 27 connecting said weight with the bar 26, the parts remaining in the normal position until a second cut reaches the spring-pressed finger 44 when the cycle of operations will be repeated. It will be understood that the bag tubes are formed in continuous lengths as long as th'emachine is operating, the end of a second blank being pasted or otherwise secured to the end of a preceding blank as the action proceeds so that there will be no interruption to the passage of the paper or other material through the machine and the consequent formation of the tube and the creation of the folds or flaps therein.V The bags are completed in the usual manner after they have been separated from the tube length bv the action of the knife 13.

It is obvious that when the flap-forming elements 39 and 44 go into action there is an expansion of the fold formed in the side of the tube. The expansion is necessary in order to obtain the proper engagement between the tube and the parts acting thereon to form the flap and in many instances the expansion may be produced by the engagement of the anvil or former 33 and the linger and lever. I pre- 6. In bag-making machinery, the combination of means for forming cuts at intervals in one side of a bag tube, a slide disposed at the outer side of the tube and bearing against the side of the same, a spring-pressed finger mounted on said slide and bearing against the side of the tube to be supported by uninterrupted portions of the same and swing inwardly when a cut is presented thereto, means disposed within the bag tube and cooperating with the slide and the finger to shape the fold, and means whereby the lastmentioned means will be caused to travel with the tube and release the finger and restore the parts to normal position.

7. In bag-making machinery, the combination of means for making a cut in the side of a bag tube at intervals, a slide disposed at the outer side of the bag tube and having a recess in its inner end, an anvil within the tube and cooperating with said slide to support the side of the tube, a spring-pressed finger mounted in the slide and bearing against the outer side of the tube to swing inwardly when a cut is presented theretoI and fold the side of the bag into a valve, a swinging pressure member also disposed within the tube and adapted to enter the recess in the outer end of the slide to compress the valve, and means actuated b-y the travel of the tube to release said last-mentioned means and resto-re the parts to normal position.

8. In bag-making machinery, the combination With means for forming a bag tube and eiecting continuous travel of the same, means for making cuts in one side of the tube at intervals, a slide mounted adjacent the tube and bearing against the outer side of the same, a spring-pressed finger carried by the slide and engaging the outer side of the tube, an anvil slidably disposed within the tube and cooperating with the slide and the finger whereby when a out is presented to the finger a portion of the side of the tube will be folded inwardly and shaped to form a valve, a pivoted support disposed within the tube and bearing against the inner surface of the side thereof to cooperate with said linger, and means whereby the travel of the tube will actuate said support to cause travel of the slide and the anvil to permit completion of the valve and clear said support, and means for returning the parts to normal position after the valve clears said support.

9. In bagmaking machinery, the combination of means for effecting continuous travel of a bag tube, means for forming cuts in one side of the tube at intervals, a guide disposed centrally within the bag tube, a head at the end of said guide to support the tube, means at the head for forming a valve in the tube, means whereby said valve-forming means upon engagement with a cut portion of the tube will operate to form the valve and then return to normal position, and a bag support yieldably mounted on the head at the opposite side of the same.

10. In bag-making machinery, the combination of means for continuously moving a bag tube, means for forming cuts in a side of the tube at intervals, a guide disposed centrally within the tube, means operating at the end of said guide and actuated by engagement with a cut portion of the tube for forming a valve therein at the cuts, means movable in the guide for returning the valveforming means to a normal position, an eX- pander carried by the head within the bag tube, and a. contractor disposed eXteriorly of the tube beyond the head.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature.

GEORGE S. HOOVER. 

